an image of a boy drawing a plane. on the right, the text says "take the pledge for public schools!" and "public schools week, February 22-26, 2021"

About Public Schools Week

NSBA invites you to join us, the Learning First Alliance (LFA), American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, National PTA and other supporting education organizations, in celebrating public schools during Public Schools Week, Feb. 22-26, 2021.

Public schools educate nine of every 10 students. The great equalizer for children, they have lifted generations of people out of poverty and from middle to higher income, helping to set young adults on the path to a fulfilling life.

Public Schools Week honors the 50.8 million students, 3.2 million teachers, and hundreds of thousands of specialists, administrators, and support staff working in public schools today.

 

How to Celebrate

Join us in celebrating by posting on social media that you support public schools or share your public school success story on social media using the hashtags #PublicSchoolProud, #PSW21 or #PublicSchoolsWeek2021.

LFA's social media toolkit includes sample social media posts, images, quotes, and other graphics. You can also download the Public Schools Week 2021 poster for your home, office, school, or classroom. 

NSBA 2020-2021 President Charlie Wilson recorded a Public School Proud Podcast with LFA Executive Director, Richard Long. Listen to their conversation on LFA's podcast page. 

President Wilson will also join a group of public education champions from leading education organizations for a panel discussion. You can watch the show on LFA’s YouTube channel on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. EST.

Please mark your calendars and make plans to join us in the celebration.

 

NSBA Themes for Public Schools Week 2021

Federal investment in our public schools

NSBA encourages everyone to support public schools by advocating for the $130 billion for K-12 schools in the COVID relief package being considered by Congress. Public schools educate ninety percent of all students across the country. As many schools prepare to return to in-person instruction, these funds are critical to keep students and teachers safe and to help address learning loss.

Sample Social Media Posts

  • Public schools look different this year. But the commitment is the same: keep students safe, learning, and growing, one student at a time. Join us in celebrating Public Schools Week Feb. 22-26 and show you're #PublicSchoolProud. https://nsba.org/Public-Schools-Week
  • An investment in our public schools is an investment in our nation’s 50 million public school students. #PublicSchoolProud #PSW21 https://nsba.org/Public-Schools-Week


LFA Panel Conversation with NSBA President Charlie Wilson

NSBA 2020-2021 President Charlie Wilson will join a group of public education champions from leading education organizations for a panel discussion at 2 p.m. EST. Tune in here.

Sample Social Media Posts

  • Tune in today, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m. ET for a @LearningFirst live streamed panel of exemplary public education practitioners including @NSBAPublicEd President @Charlie_NSBA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13EXg_k8XJQ #PublicSchoolProud #PSW21
  • Public schools help build students’ futures and strengthen our communities. Join me in celebrating our local public schools today and every day. #PublicSchoolProud #PSW21 https://nsba.org/Public-Schools-Week

Homework Gap

Sample Social Media Posts

  • Do you have internet in your home? Millions of students do not. Congress is currently considering more than $7 billion to close this #HomeworkGap as part of a new #COVID19 relief bill. NSBA and 50+ education orgs support the effort. #PublicSchoolsWeek
  • Millions of students are struggling to keep up with schoolwork without a computer or adequate internet access at home. We need to close the digital divide, both now and after the pandemic. #PublicSchoolProud #PSW21
  • Education is the great equalizer and shouldn’t be limited by internet access. #PublicSchoolsWeek #PSW21

Digital Learning Day

NSBA urges Congress to approve the pending COVID relief package that will provide $7 billion to expand internet connectivity for students and teachers without internet access. This will provide tremendous help to close the digital divide in education, commonly called the homework gap, for the more than 16 million kids who currently don’t have internet access in their homes.

Sample Social Media Posts

  • Join @NSBApubliced & @All4Ed in observing 10 years of Digital Learning Day! Today we celebrate the innovation that occurs in schools while looking forward to creating even more opportunities for high-quality digital learning. @OfficialDLDay #PSW21
  • Education cannot go back to how it was before the pandemic. Fortunately, schools across the country have already adopted innovative learning opportunities to support personalized learning for every student. @OfficialDLDay #PSW21

Public School Transformation Now!

Public School Transformation Now! is the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) bold initiative to reimagine and improve learning for students so they are better prepared for the modern world.

Sample Social Media Posts

  • Students that receive digital and personalized learning opportunities lead more successful 21st-century lives. It is critical for schools to prepare students with skills beyond what they can learn with just paper and pencil.#EdTransformation #PSW21 nsba.org/schooltransformationnow
  • High-quality digital learning and improved approaches to technology instruction have the potential to transform education, especially for our nation’s underserved communities. Every day must be a digital learning day. #EdTransformation #PSW21 nsba.org/schooltransformationnow



Highlights from Previous Public Schools Weeks

February 4, 2020 Recording Deborah and NSBA's 2019-2020 President ElizaBeth Branham celebrate public education as Public Schools Week 2020 approaches at the end of February.

Highlights from the 2020 Public Schools Week panel discussion featuring 2019-2020 NSBA President ElizaBeth Branham.

 

Former NSBA Executive Director & CEO Thomas J. Gentzel celebrates the great and innovative learning that takes place in our public schools each and every day.